1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motion picture playback apparatus and method which can play back and display a motion picture in synchronism with music by means of controlling the time scale of the motion picture.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, apparatuses capable of playing back motion pictures and apparatuses capable of playing music at designated tempi have existed. Further, there have existed apparatuses, such as a videotape recorder, which can change playback speed in a simple manner; e.g., halving or doubling playback speed, during playback of a motion picture.
However, conventional apparatuses cannot match a tempo of music with a playback speed of a motion picture. Further, even in the case in which playback of a piece of music and playback of a motion picture are started simultaneously to thereby synchronize the piece of music and the motion picture at their beginning, a problem arises if the tempo is changed while the music is playing. Specifically, when the tempo is increased while the music is playing, some frames of the motion picture are left unreproduced (i.e., are not played back); when the tempo of the music is slowed, the frames of the motion picture become insufficient. Moreover, the conventional apparatuses cannot cause a motion picture to enter looped playback while following changes in tempo.